Monday, May 18, 2020

It's Monday - Celebrating Brand New Books!


              Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with others who post their favorites.  Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading!
          Share with the hashtag #IMWAYR

        


   I finished Emily St. John Mandel's new adult book, The Glass Hotel. You can read my Goodreads review here.



             I hope all of you are doing well and staying safe as you are able. I seem to have more to do or I'm wasting more time than I used to, getting less reading done it seems, but I have enjoyed what I did finish. Including loving Emily St. John Mandel's older Station Eleven, I have adored the following new picture books by favorite authors of so many other marvelous books!




          I expect you know Laura Purdie Salas' previous special poetry like Water Can Be, A Rock Can Be, and the more recent Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle or In The Middle of The Night. There are many others. Her newest book just came out at the end of April and I've already seen numerous reviews that show how special the book is. Now, I'm sharing to urge you to add it to your non-fiction poetry collection, a perfect way to enjoy learning about animals, this time, the life of a loon, from hatching to flying! The exceptional photographs are by Chuck Dayton, a nature photographer, and the book was published by the Minnesota Historical Society. 

         Laura uses quatrains to tell the story of chick to grown-up, including its learning, patient parents, the dangers, and the push to learn how to fly. They are brief, yet packed with information in a strong poetic voice. I can imagine reading this aloud to a group who will learn as they enjoy the story, eager to know what's next? I love the way the photographs bleed into one another in double-page spreads, carrying the story's progress beautifully. Here's one example:



























           There is extra information at the back, also interesting. I always knew that loons struggle and flap wildly in order to get off the water, but did not know it's because they have solid, heavy bones. According to the information, that helps them dive deeply. It would be great for students to study a favorite animal and create their own book with Laura's poems as mentors. A favorite line: "“Every secret Moon needs, / she carries inside.” which refers to the learning from parents and that mystery still unsolved as to how birds know where to migrate when they go to warmer climates and when they return to their original places. What a great book to add to favorite poetry and science books.





         I was so excited to read that Akiko Miyakoshi had written and illustrated another book. Remember The Way Home In The Night and The Tea Party In The Woods? And more! This time, an innkeeper who appears to love his work. He helps his guest and tells about his village. But then he dreams of traveling to some of those places he has only learned about. By plane or bicycle or car, he goes to the beach, visits with former guests in a picnic, and views a beautiful rainbow. He says he will remember, but then he wakes and finds himself "still here". The dreams are in color while his life remains in black and white, all beautifully rendered and textured. The end is not quite "the end", leaving readers guessing. It's a poignant story, one time showing this innkeeper viewing a wall filled with cards from former guests, a melancholy story. It feels as if it could be viewed in various ways, always great for a discussion, right?

             How could I miss purchasing Lauren Castillo's new early chapter book with stories that include a favorite animal, a hedgehog? I could not! I have previously loved Imagine and It's Not Time for Sleeping which she illustrated and Nana In The City, which won the Caldecott. This time, readers have the pleasure of meeting new characters in Our Friend, Hedgehog, The Story of Us. It centers on Hedgehog who lives on an island in the middle of a river with her friend, Mutty. They love each other, have fun together, but Hedgehog does admit, she is sometimes lonely. After a horrific storm that whisks Mutty away to we don't know where, Hedgehog has to gather all her courage to search. She must swim across the river to the forest, quite daunting, but she is a good swimmer, loving the backstroke! Thus begins this journey of bravery and kindness, helpful hands and so much gratitude. Each part begins carefully setting the stage for readers. Before the title page, there is an introduction of the characters, and each character or group is introduced with what appears to be a polaroid photo. (That's explained later.) At each chapter, there is also a hint that connects to the content of the next part. The endpapers even show a detailed map in full color! Lauren's illustrations please with their black outlining and strong colors. The details are fun to linger over. I imagine everyone will love Mole's cozy den and her knick-knacks on the walls. There is tension, too, in finding Mutty; Beaver is rather cranky, and Owl is a good leader! Annika, the young girl needs friends, too. You'll see that it's a perfect book for this time of loneliness in our children's worlds. 

                      Some fun things when ordering from Castillo's bookstore!



Now reading:


I started the sequel to Malamander, which is #1 in the series Eyrie on the Sea by Thomas Taylor. This time #2 is Gargantis. I'm trying to decide what makes me loved reading these, but I know this one is going to be a great adventure, too. Perhaps it's being reacquainted with the main characters? Perhaps the mystical and magical things that happen? I am enjoying Taylor's story-telling again very much.



26 comments:

  1. I am looking forward to the next book in the Hedgehog series. I hope we don't have to wait too long!

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    1. It would be terrific to have another this year, Lisa. I'm hoping!

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  2. I have loved all of Laura Purdie Salas' work so far Linda, so I'm looking forward to this one. Our Friend, Hedgehog, The Story of Us, looks delightful. I am looking forward to my grandchildren getting old enough to introduce them to these kinds of books.

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    1. All of those early readers are not my favorites, but I loved this new one, Cheriee, as I love others. Laura's book is wonderful. Hoping you get to read it soon!

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    2. Thanks, Cheriee--I hope you like it when you get a chance to read it :>)

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  3. I am adding Laura Purdie Salas' Secrets of the Loon to my list. I love the page spread you shares, so thanks for giving me a looksy! And I've not yet even heard of Our Friend Hedgehog, so I will need to hunt this one down. It looks so cute, Linda! Thank you for these shares and I hope you are staying safe, too. Because we are so secluded, many in our community are being rather bold. I hope we aren't soon shocked by an unexpected outcome. Have a wonderful reading week!

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    1. I am venturing out a bit more, like at the bookstore as we are planning for some kind of re-opening. We have started taking donations so there is a lot to do & plan. Only 1 or 2 are there at any time right now. Enjoy Laura's book, Share, simply gorgeous. And I'm happy to introduce you to Our Friend Hedgehog, a darling new series. Happy reading to you!

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    2. Thanks, Shaye! And I, too, need Our Friend Hedgehog :>)

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  4. I agree with Shaye that some of the people in my smaller community are getting bold. We have relatively low rates in BC, and that combined with quarantine fatigue that we all have has some people feeling less cautious. I always love reading your poetry updates as it is an area I don't do a good enough job of stocking the library (without using people like you as resources). Thanks for all the shares, I will add Secrets of the Loon to my list as well.

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    1. Thanks, Aaron, I'm happy to share poetry with you. Check my Goodreads page! We are slowly opening in Colorado & I've ventured out a bit, went to the grocery for the first time last week. My daughter had been shopping for me before. I am doing more at the bookstore because we are planning a limited opening, perhaps by June. No one but 1 or 2 is there, so that feels okay. Best wishes to you & yours & in finding great reads, too!

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    2. Thank you, Aaron--and stay safe!

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  5. ADORE Lauren's new book!
    Looking forward to reading Laura's new book. I just got her SKEDADDLE one. I had read it from the library but bought it for my classroom, kids enjoy it!

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    1. Yes, I'm happy that I ordered Our Friend Hedgehog, a special story & beginning! Glad you like Skedaddle, very fun to learn in that way. Enjoy Loon, too, Michele!

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    2. Aw, thanks, Michele. I'm honored that you liked SKEDADDLE enough to buy it for your class! I usually test drive books, too--hehe.

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  6. I love all of Lauren Castillo's works, so I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on Our Friend Hedgehog, once the library reopens. Thanks for sharing all of these books, especially the Secrets of the Loon! Have a great week!

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    1. You're welcome, Jana. I am aching for the library to open, too. I imagine the librarians are both wary because of the virus & for all those books that are going to be returned. What a topsy-turvy world we've landed in! Enjoy Loon when you can!

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    2. Thank you for reading, Jana :>)

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  7. Secrets of the Loon sounds excellent—as you mentioned, I love the way that the pictures come together, especially with the little cattail-and-grass decorations! I've seen praise for I Dream of a Journey, and Our Friend Hedgehog sounds great as well! Thanks for the great post!

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    1. You're welcome. I'm happy that you enjoyed hearing about these new books!

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    2. The designer had lots of fun with the masks (or whatever the proper term is for the shaped edges of the photos). Thank you for reading!

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  8. Thank you so much, Linda, for sharing! I'm so pleased you like it :)

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    1. You're welcome, Laura. I do love it. What a wonderful book you helped create with those photos, spreading love about the loon!

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  9. I can't wait to read Our Friend Hedgehog.

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    1. It's quite a special story with new, good-to-know characters! Hope you get it soon, Beth!

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  10. I just adored My Friend Hedgehog! The characters, plot, themes, and gorgeous illustrations. It is a great read aloud for primary grades. So glad it is a series!

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    1. It is terrific, Laura, I agree! Now we must wait for the next one!

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